4 Replies - 1842 Views - Last Post: 07 February 2011 - 03:45 AM

What to learn once you have the basics down?

Posted 29 December 2010 - 05:58 AM

Hi Dream in Coders,

I've gotten to (or very close to) the stage where I have the basic fundamentals of programming down for C++, C# and Java.
The books I have read to get to this stage are:
Accelerated C++.
Stroustrup's introduction to programming.
Illustrated C#.
Learn to program in Java.

I've already read Steve Meyes "how to improve your program" series and "Code Complete" so I have a good understanding of how to write good software etc.

But what now?
What essential topics/books should all programmers learn/read after they've learnt the basics?

Thanks in advance.

This post has been edited by DivideByZero: 29 December 2010 - 06:11 AM

Re: What to learn once you have the basics down?

Posted 03 January 2011 - 08:50 AM

I remember when I thought I knew "the basics fundamentals." Once I actually got into the industry, I quickly learned that I didn't know a damn thing. Every year that I've been doing this, at the end I can look back and say..."damn, I learned a lot this year." And I'm supposed to be an expert!

Sergio's advice is very good. Learning design patterns early will give you a huge head start in the industry. You won't be coding a 50k LOC program the same way you do a college Java assignment. The truth is though, reading books and working examples will only take you so far, because examples are tailored to highlight the benefits of what it's being an example of. You have to put some of these things to practical use before you can ever really understand them.